The Texas Senate passed a bill that would not allow transgender student-athletes from playing on school sports teams that identify participants with their birth gender. The school athletes would be able to compete with teams that match their birth gender, reported The Texas Tribune. After the bill was passed in the Texas Senate, the bill would be sent to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk if the Texas House includes the amendment added by the Senate.

The bill that has been authored by State Representative Valoree Swanson allows the athletes to play in the team that matches their biological gender listed on the official issued birth certificate, reported The Texas Tribune. Furthermore, a modified birth certificate would be valid provided it has been changed due to clerical error. As per House Bill 25, a modified birth certificate would not be accepted unless there was a clerical error on the original birth certificate.

Texas Senate sends bill back to the House

As per the Texas Tribune report, the House had made an amendment in the bill, however, it was removed in the Texas Senate. The legislation defined ‘biological sex’ as “the physical condition of being male or female as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profile of the individual at birth.” Another House amendment in the legislation mentioned that the bill follows the state and federal laws regarding the ‘confidentiality of student medical information’. If the Texas House includes the amendment added by the Senate, the bill would head to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk.

The bill that has been introduced by State Representative Valoree Swanson underscores that it would allow transgender females to have fair competition in the game, according to the report. As per the proponents of the bill, female transgenders would be allowed to compete against other female participants. However, the critics have stated that that the legislation would be discriminatory with the transgender community, reported The Texas Tribune. During the House floor debate on HB 25, Democrats had informed that the legislators must think about the mental pressure that the bill would have on transgender children since many of them are already suffering ‘bullying’.

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